Ankle brace and stabilizer



July 30, 1957 A. L. SCHUL-rz ANKLE BRACE AND vSTBILIZER j Filed July 22, 1955 /OS /Z INVENTOR ff/.Sc u Z Z WM ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent C) ANKLEBRACE AND STABILIZER August L. Schultz, Mitchell, S.v Dak.

Application July 22, 1955, Serial No. 523,700

2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-8,7)

Thisv invention relatesV to an ankle brace and stabilizer, and more specically, the invention pertains to meansfor supporting ligaments, muscles, tendons, and' tissues posi* tioned proximate the ankle structure.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide an ankle brace and stabilizer device of the type referred to above which will also provide means to lift the lateral or medial side of the ankle depending upon which sideN of'- the ankle is sprained or otherwise. injured.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ankle brace and stabilizer device including the above referred to lifting feature which will prevent sprains in weakened ankles and aid in the healing of the injured or sprained ankle by reducing the tension upon those tissues.

A still further object of this invention is to provide ankle brace and stabilizing means which may be formed of inexpensive material and which is non-complex in construction and assembly, and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more manifest from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an ankle brace and stabilizing device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view :of the ankle brace and stabilizer illustrated in Figure l.

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of the ankle brace and stabilizer prior to its connection with the knitted elastic ankle stocking.

Referring now more specically to the drawing reference numeral designates, in general, a conventional knitted elastic ankle stocking having a leg and ankle encircling portion 12 and a foot surrounding section 14. The stocking 10 has the usual heel receiving cut out 16. The ankle brace and stabilizer to which this invention is directed is indicated, generally, by the reference numeral 1S and is affixed to the stocking 10 by cement or other conventional means, not shown, and is formed of foam rubber, plastic material, leather, felt or any other similar exible materials.

In View of the fact that substantially 90% of ankle sprains are on the lateral side, the illustratel brace and stabilizer is shown and described for use in connection with such sprains. It should be recognized, however, that the same brace and stabilizer could be employed if the sprain were medial and that in such cases, the brace and stabilizer would be connected with the medial side of the stocking.

The brace and stabilizer 18 is integrally formed from a sheet of exible material (foam rubber, for example) and is seen to comprise a pair of spaced downwardly dif6ice verging side support members 20, 22 integrally connected adjacent their upper and lower ends by the upper and lower substantially rectangular cross-support members 24 and 26,` respectively, reference being made to Figure 1 of the drawing. The junction of the side support member 20 with the adjacent end of the cross-support member 26 is enlarged to form a laterally and anteriorly extending substantially semi-spherical lobe 28, and the side support member 22 at its. junction with the cross-support member 26 is also enlarged to form a laterally and posteriorly extending semi-spherical lobe 30.

A substantially rectangular cross-brace element 32 is integrally formed with and extends-between the side support members 20, 22 intermediate the ends thereof to deline the substantially rectangular transversely extending apertures 34, 36.

From the lower end of the cross-support member 26 depends anv integrally connectedV elongated' substantially rectangular central body portion 33 having its longitudinal axis displaced forwardly of the vertical longitudinal axis of the aperture 34, reference again being made to Figure lof the drawing.

TheV lower end lof the central body portion 33 is integrally connected with the upper end of the brace terminal section 38 whichV extends laterallyV of the longitudinal sides of the central body portion and includes the oppositely disposed laterally extending lobes 40, 42 and the longitudinally extended arcuately shaped tip 44.

As has been stated above, the ankle brace and stabilizer 18 is adhesively secured (such as by cement) on a knitted elastic ankle stocking 10 Aof conventional construction, and in practice, the brace may be cemented to both the medial and lateral sides of the stocking or either side thereof.

The upper portions of the side supporting members 20, 22 taken together with the cross-support member 24 and the cross-brace element 32 act as flexible splints .on the adjacent muscles, tendons and ligaments of the wearers leg. The aperture 34 permits a portion of the ibula to protrude if the sprain is lateral, and if medial, the aperture will allow the tibia to extend therein. The opening or aperture 34 also serves to permit the upper portion of the side supporting members 20, 22 and the cross-brace 32 to t more snugly around the proximate muscles, tendons and ligaments of the leg.

The anterior lobe 23 supports the tissues in front of the malleoli, either the medial or lateral side thereof depending upon which of the sides of the ankle is injured.

The aperture 36 allows the malleoli to protrude so that the adjacent parts of the central body portion 33 of the brace and stabilizer tits snugly against the proximate tissues thereby giving support especially just below the malleoli.

The lobe 40 comprises an appendage for the purpose of supporting the tissue above and around the cuboid bone in a lateral sprain. If, however, the injury com prises a medial sprain, the lobe 40 serves to support the upper, medial portion of the arch of the foot.

The longitudinally extending member 44 is designed to curve around and become positioned under the lateral portion of the foot next to the cuboid bone. This serves as a lift to the foot and ankle to protect it from turning laterally. Of course, the opposite would be true if the brace were used on a medial sprain.

The lobe 42 is designed to fit under the lateral onehalf of the os calcis thereby acting further as a stabilizer since it will not permit the ankle to roll outwardly. The opposite is true if the support is used on a medial sprain.

The lobe 30 is adapted to support the tissues posterior to the ankle joint.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by vvay of example, and that the 'iinven- 4` bination with an anklestocking having leg andtfcot encircling sections, an elongated substantially rectangular.

Vstrip of exible material adhesively secured to said leg and foot sections on theiside thereof, that portion'of saidV strip of materialaifixedY to said leg portion being substantially rectangular in conigurationY and having a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending apertures formed therein,V said apertures receiving therein adjacent protruding portions of the :tibulaand malleoli, said portion of said strip of material having at .the lower end thereofY oppositely disposed laterally extending lobes, one of said lobes being adapted to supporttissues disposed anterior of the adjacenttportion of the malleoli andthe other of said lobes being adapted to Asupport tissues posterior of said ankle, said lower end of said portion of said strip having an integrally connected central body portion extendingand secured to said foot, sectionfor engagement against the upper medial portion of Vthe arch of a foot, Ysaid central'body portion terminating in a cross member including a pair of anterior and posterior extending lobes, said anterior lobe being adapted for positioningiunder the lateral portion of said foot adjacent the cuboid bone thereof, and said posterior lobe being adapted for positioning under substantially the lateral one-half of the os calcis. t

f 2,800,900 j. j a

' `2. An article of manufacture comprising an ankle brace and stabilizer, said brace and stabilizer comprisingY an elongated substantially open rectangular main body portion including a pair of elongated spaced substantially rectangular side supporting members having an integrally formed cross-support element connecting a pair of their respective adjacent ends, a second cross-support member integrally connecting the other adjacent ends ofsaid side supporting members,V a cross-brace having its respective ends integrally connected with said-side supporting members intermediate the ends thereof, said second crosssupporting member at vthe junction of said other ends of said side supporting ymembers being enlarged to :provide l a pair of oppostely disposed laterally .extending lobes,

a substantially rectangular central Vmember having one of its ends integrally formed with said second crosssupporting member, said central member having a pair of oppositely disposed laterally extending lobesV at an opposite end thereof, and a substantially arcuately shaped longitudinally extending lobe having one of its ends xedl secured to said central member.

yReferences Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 390,176 Lee Sept. 25,V 1888 1,546,551 Petri v r a July 2l, 1925,',V 2,172,484 Y Tessier .I Sept. 12, 1939/ 2,617,207 Jennett i. Nov. 11, 1952 2,656,834 

